Finance
To ensure a safe and supportive campus environment for students, the Odisha Higher Education Department has directed all higher education institutions in the state to form or reconstitute mandatory safety committees and anti-ragging mechanisms prior to the start of the 2026-27 academic year.
The official communication, issued by Joint Secretary Mousumi Nayak, has been sent to the Registrars of all state public and private universities, including deemed-to-be universities, as well as the Principals of government, aided and unaided degree colleges, Sanskrit colleges, and teacher education colleges within the department.
The institutions have been asked to implement the necessary safety structures within a seven-day timeframe. Additionally, institutions must promptly evaluate the current composition of these organizations.
The regulation requires higher education institutions to reconstitute and examine the Anti-Ragging Committee, Anti-Ragging Squad, Anti-Ragging Monitoring Cell, or independent monitoring mechanism. They must also activate and reform the Internal Committee established by the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
Furthermore, Student Grievance Redressal Committees, Student Service Centers, psychological counseling units, and, if appropriate, the appointment or activation of an Ombudsperson must be strengthened.
To improve transparency and ease of access for students, universities and colleges have been instructed to prominently publish committee chairpersons’ names, designations, official email addresses, and phone numbers on notice boards and official websites.
The Regional Directorates of Higher Education in Odisha’s Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern zones will conduct physical inspections and audits to ensure compliance. Institutions that fail to complete the reorganization and exhibit working safety systems within the seven-day deadline face administrative and disciplinary sanctions.
